Toronto’s East End has long been one of the city’s most exciting places to eat. Defined by independent chefs, neighbourhood favourites, and destination-worthy dining that rivals anywhere in the city. From cozy bistros and family-run gems to buzzy new openings and institutions that locals swear by. The food scene here is as diverse and dynamic as the communities themselves. It’s no wonder we have some of the Best Restaurants on Toronto’s East Side.

In this guide, we’ve rounded up the 19 Best Restaurants on Toronto’s East Side. Each chosen for their consistently great food, standout service, and the kind of atmosphere that keeps people coming back. Whether you’re planning a special night out, looking for a reliable go-to spot close to home, or eager to discover somewhere new in the east end. This list highlights the restaurants that truly define dining in East Toronto.

Here are the 19 Best Restaurants on Toronto’s East Side

Fangio Trattoria

1111 Queen St. E., 416-465-6363, fangio.ca

At Fangio Trattoria, they believe dining is an experience best lived with passion, precision, and a touch of daring. Inspired by the legendary spirit of Juan Manuel Fangio — a driver defined by instinct, discipline, and artistry — they bring that same pursuit of excellence to the table. The menu is rooted in Italian tradition, complemented by occasional Argentinian influences that add depth and boldness to the flavours. Which is what makes it one of the best restaurants on Toronto’s East Side. Like a perfectly executed race, every dish, every cocktail, and every detail is crafted with care, balance, and creativity. But Fangio is about more than food and drink. It’s about gathering, celebrating, and creating moments that last. They’ve built a space where the atmosphere is as inviting as the plates in front of you. Lively, welcoming, and filled with energy.

Bodega Henriette

1801 Gerrard St. E., 416-546-6261, bodegahenriette.com

This jack-of-all-trades spot, tucked away on a residential stretch of Gerrard, is worth seeking out. It’s homey, casual and practical, with a section devoted to pantry essentials: butter, milk, produce, baked goodies, and coffee. And gorgeous bread from Petite Thuet. In fact, chef Adam Weisberg previously worked with Mark Thuet, and his French training shows. The beer list is impressive for a 25-seat local, with craft brews and imports available on tap and bottle. House-made doughnut holes from the café counter should satisfy any sweet tooth.

Bombay Chowpatty

1386 Gerrard St. E., 416-405-8080

Spicy snacks and Shah Rukh Khan DVDs are natural partners—so goes the thinking at this hybrid Indian dive/Bollywood video store. The Bombay burger brings a potato patty slathered with potent chickpea curry on a fluffy bun. Thick-cut, masala-dusted fries come doused with rich yogurt, spicy green chutney and tangy tamarind sauce. A puffy slice of fried bread drips with grease but gets a punch of flavour from rich chickpea curry.

Betty East

1352 Danforth Ave., 416-901-5575, bettystoronto.com

No one throws a party like Betty’s East. They’ve got everything you need for an unforgettable event.
Our unique cottage is your home away from home, complete with a Steinway piano and a fireplace. Sports and home movies come alive on our huge projector screens, and if you want to dance the night away, we’ve got the space for you.

The Broadview Hotel

106 Broadview Ave., 416-362-8439, thebroadviewhotel.ca

Victorian-era taverns are the unlikely inspiration for John Sinopoli’s novel chophouse in the recently hipsterized Broadview Hotel. It’s impressive how he translates that past into something temptingly up-to-date. Lavishing a braised rabbit leg with a lavender jus, dressing a buttery slice of toasted brioche with roasted hen of the woods and chanterelle mushrooms. Ratcheting up the tang of venison tartare with house-­pickled mustard seeds and the orange yolk of a quail egg. The standout is an elk chop, which, along with the leather-top tables. The hard liquor cocktails and the dimly lit room, is a time machine to a cigar–smoke–filled men’s club. In this particular case, the Victorians had it right.

Descendant Detroit Style Pizza

1168 Queen St. E., 647-347-1168, descendantdsp.com

Descendant’s square, sauce-on-top, Motown-style deep-dish pies are perfectly chewy, delightfully greasy and crunchy around the edges. Due to the unexpectedly airy nature of the pie, it’s possible to put away more slices than one might initially think possible–or advisable. The pies are topped with cheese and thoughtfully selected toppings. Who else in town is putting slow-roasted garlic cremini mushrooms, double-smoked bacon, lemon zest and truffle sauce on pizzas, as Descendant does with the Truff-Ghi? They taste as good as they look, but a post-pizza lie-down will seem like a good idea.

Eastside Social

1008 Queen St. E., 416-461-5663, eastsidesocial.ca

The ideal neighbourhood local, not too crowded, not too noisy, just-right prices, goes strong in Leslieville. Earning its spot as one of the best restaurants on Toronto’s East Side. The nautical theme is campy without being kitschy, and the fare is refined comfort food at its best. Bar snacks, like devilled eggs topped with smoked trout, are perfect with the bar’s bracing cocktails. Moist salt cod balls dipped in tomatillo salsa or romesco make an irresistible starter, as do brandy-buttered mushrooms on toast. Mains bring a crispy skate-wing schnitzel drizzled with tart caper butter. Sided by a luscious potato salad and a heaping plate of craggy fried chicken.

PIANO PIANO

1190 Dundas St. E., 416-465-3854, pianopianotherestaurant.com

PIANO PIANO is the Italian restaurant you always wished was just around the corner. Sophisticated and fun, PIANO PIANO serves deeply satisfying food that comes in just the right size. The menu features traditional Italian fare that’s been elevated to its most delicious self.  If there’s a common thread that runs through PIANO PIANO, it’s a deep-seated soulfulness and sensuality that’s at once warm, welcoming and just plain fun.

Gio Rana’s Really Really Nice Restaurant

1220 Queen St. E., 416-469-5225, Facebook

Owner Gio Rana has created the cheerful, neighbourly atmosphere that most restaurateurs dream of—the kind of place where kids know what they want before they sit down and servers hug regulars goodbye. The busy kitchen churns out simple family-style dishes. There’s no innovation on a plate of figs with prosciutto and gorgonzola, but the ingredients are so excellent that they come to life on their own. There’s a plate of gnocchi on every table: the dumplings are huge, dense and miraculously ungummy, though their Bolognese sauce is too sweet. Juicy involtini (pulled pork rolled up with rib-eye) soak up a rich, salty jus. Desserts are either boring (a dry chèvre cheesecake) or weird (a handful of flavourless blueberries baked into an otherwise fluffy brownie). Many locals say this is THE best restaurant on Toronto’s East Side.

Goods and Provisions

1124 Queen St. E., 647-340-1738, goodsandprovisionsrestaurant.com

This Belle Époque room in Leslieville is charming, if not a little too dark and a little too loud. The menu is shamelessly meaty, and the kitchen makes clever use of Asian ingredients mashed up against classic European and Canadian recipes. A knob of nori butter melts into a Flintstone-worthy slab of seared P.E.I. beef, and two fat fish tacos wrapped in soft tortilla shells are sided with house-made kimchee that’s mouth-hurting-hot, but good. The bar stocks plenty of bourbon, serving cocktails in vintage cut-glass stemware. Servers are knowledgeable and chatty—when you can hear them over the din.

Bar Mini

1118 Queen St. E., bar@barmini.ca, barmini.ca

Bar mini was built with accessibility in mind: elevated snacks, well-crafted cocktails and unique wines at an affordable price point. Bar mini is a tiny, cozy cocktail and snack bar that exudes the charm of a ’70s dinner party, without the fondue. Designed by Brett Paulin, the space features soft wood, warm lighting, and a curated mix of vintage and contemporary furnishings, creating an intimate and inviting atmosphere. If you look closely, you’ll spot tiny figurines peeking out from some of the bricks – little surprises tucked into the walls.

Lake Inez

1471 Gerrard St. E., 416-792-1590, lakeinezto.com

Chef Robbie Hojilla—formerly of Ursa, Hudson Kitchen and the Harbord Room—has landed in Little India. At Lake Inez, a boisterous Filipino restaurant just west of Coxwell, Hojilla adds personal touches to the dishes he grew up with. Crispy fried chicken wings are coated in honey-garlic adobo and sprinkled with sesame seeds and fiery chilies, and skewers of tender pork are glazed in 7-Up and soy sauce, then grilled over Japanese charcoal. They’re perfect bites to go with one of the many natural wines or excellent local beers on offer—Lake Inez is run by the folks behind the Wren, another A-plus craft beer bar on the Danforth.

Maha’s

226 Greenwood Ave., 416-462-2703, mahasbrunch.com

At this tiny east-end kitchen, owner Maha Barsoom and her family send out over-the-top-delicious Egyptian food. Their falafel—flatter and darker than their Lebanese counterparts, and sesame seed–encrusted—are a contender for the city’s best. Pulled roasted chicken on brioche is dry and vinegary, but the Pharaoh’s Shrimp Po’ Boy is clever and tasty: tender shrimp, fried in a crisp batter, is stuffed into a warm pita and liberally sauced with tomeya, an Egyptian garlic mayo. Uninspired desserts are not made in-house, but the killer honey-cardamom lattes are.

Maple Leaf Tavern

955 Gerrard St. E., 416-465-0955, mapleleaftavern.ca

Once an east-end dive, the over 100-year-old tavern has been given new life, thanks to a two-year, $1-million makeover designed to position it as a legitimate dining destination. Chef Jesse Vallins churns out what might be his best food to date, much of it from a wood-burning oven. The roasted vegetable salad with fried halloumi gives the kitchen a chance to grill up whatever’s in season, and the burger—a patty of ground strip loin topped with house-made cheese, garlic mayo and dill relish—could hold its own against any of the city’s best. Kegged rye and gingers (made with artisanal ginger beer, natch) are a fun touch. The long-running establishment earns its spot in the 19 best restaurants on Toronto’s East Side.

Pizzeria Libretto

550 Danforth Ave., 416-466-0400, pizzerialibretto.com

The Danforth location is a less frenetic version of the wildly popular Ossington pizzeria. Tables span two floors, so the space feels less cramped, and the owners have made the merciful decision to take reservations. There are two wood-burning ovens manned by pizzaiolos turning out Libretto’s signature blistered, charred and chewy Neapolitan pies. One superb version brings caramelized onion, pork belly and bomba, a spicy Italian relish. Aggressively attentive servers clear plates before they’re clean.

Pinkerton Snack Bar

1026 Gerrard St. E., 416-855-1460, Twitter

With a room decked out in antiques, reclaimed wood and retro lighting, and a playlist of throwbacks, Pinkerton’s feels like a Parkdale transplant. It’s not difficult for two people to eat everything on the short menu here. Best bets are the Laotian-style beef tartare and the tuna tostada, a messy but delicious plate of raw albacore, crispy wontons, avocado crema, chillies and nori. Of the classic cocktails, the smooth and citrusy paper plane is exceptional.

Tulia Osteria

1402 Queen St. E., 416-461-6400, tuliaosteria.com

Woodfired Neapolitan-style pizzas, fresh pasta and a gorgeous selection of Italian cocktails and wines are awaiting just behind our perfectly-appointed dining room and bar. Where luxury and comfort meet to have a drink and a perfect bite. No matter what you order, the core of each of our recipes is skill, simplicity and the very best ingredients.

White Lily Diner

678 Queen St. E., 416-901-7800, whitelilydiner.ca

He’s got 20 years and six kitchens under his apron strings, but at this east-end diner, chef Ben Denham is keeping it small and simple. The focus is on southern classics done up in surprising ways, and made with is local meats and produce. Golden rosti-like hash browns come topped with malt mayo and green onion, and charred broccoli, dusted with shaved aged ricotta, swims in a naughty-but-nice sausage gravy. Delicately smoked salmon and tuna arrive with greens and a surprisingly well-matched asiago and lemon dip. The Reuben stacks house-made rye with (also house-made) sauerkraut, a pink-in-the-middle beef patty, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese. Desserts are all made on the premises, too: butter tarts hide maple- and bourbon-plumped raisins, and perfect yeast doughnuts, including one glazed with chocolate and finished with a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt. Service is super-friendly and diner-fast.

Wynona

819 Gerrard St. E., 416-778-5171, wynonatoronto.com

Last but not least of the best restaurants on Toronto’s East Side. Former Ufficio chef Jeff Bovis has succeeded in opening a restaurant and wine bar that is both casual and romantic, including a street-facing display window that, when it’s open on a warm summer evening, makes the unfolding streetscape seem as inviting as anywhere in the city, especially after a glass or two of skin-contact grenache rosé or something else from the wine geek-friendly, on-trend card. There’s a rustic Mediterranean bend to just about everything on the menu of pastas, crudos and seasonally driven produce dishes. Everything is meant to be shared, even if it’s hard to forfeit anything from a mound of spaghetti tossed with Ontario zucchini, anchovy and bottarga, topped with a snow-capped peak of stracciatella.

Whether you’re a lifelong local or just starting to explore the neighbourhoods east of the Don, these spots represent the very best of what East Toronto has to offer. From casual weeknight favourites to restaurants worthy of a special occasion, each one plays a role in shaping the vibrant food culture of the East End.

If you’re looking to explore more of the Best Restaurants on Toronto’s East Side, consider turning your next dinner reservation into a neighbourhood adventure. And if you find yourself falling in love with the community as much as the cuisine, we’re always happy to share insight into the streets, homes, and local pockets that make East Toronto such a special place to live.